Economic Analysis of Insect Pest Losses in Tomato Value Chains in Kano State Markets, North West Nigeria

Insect pests cause significant post-harvest and pre-market losses in the tomato value chain, affecting both farmer incomes and consumer prices. Kano State is Nigeria's largest tomato market hub, with high-volume trade connections to producer areas in Kaduna and Katsina states. However, quantified economic data on pest-related losses specifically at different nodes of the Kano tomato value chain are largely absent. This study conducts an economic analysis of insect pest-related losses in the tomato value chain in Kano State, covering production, transportation, and market wholesale and retail stages. Structured market surveys and value chain interviews will be conducted with 150 actors including farmers, transporters, and market traders. Loss assessments at each stage will use standardized protocols involving visual grading of samples for pest damage. Economic loss will be estimated using market price data from the Kano State Statistics Office. The role of Helicoverpa armigera, leafminers, and thrips in production-stage losses will be documented. Results will provide a rare commodity-specific economic loss dataset relevant to agricultural policy in North West Nigeria. Recommendations will target cost-effective pest interventions at stages of the value chain where losses are highest. Keywords: economic losses, tomato value chain, insect pests, Kano State, market survey